Phase precession in the human hippocampus and entorhinal cortex

Neurons in the human brain spike in rhythm with local network oscillations to represent spatial position and non-spatial states, highlighting phase procession as a widespread neuronal mechanism for coordinating spike timing during behavior and cognition.

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Neutrophil elastase selectively kills cancer cells and attenuates tumorigenesis

Neutrophil-secreted elastase shows dramatic selectivity, inducing cell death in tumors and at metastatic sites in animal models while sparing proximal healthy cells.

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Splice site m6A methylation prevents binding of U2AF35 to inhibit RNA splicing

m6A methylation of a 3ʹ splice site blocks its recognition by splicing factors to inhibit pre-mRNA splicing in nematodes and mammals. In worms, this mechanism is used to modulate splicing in response to a change in diet.

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B cell genomics behind cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV

B cell genomics reveals transcriptionally distinct populations that modulate antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, with the identification of a monoclonal antibody that locks the virus spike trimer to neutralize recent variants, SARS and heterologous RBDs.

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Structural insight into SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and modulation of syncytia

A series of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that potently block binding to the host receptor ACE2 are found to enhance or inhibit virus Spike-mediated membrane fusion and formation of syncytia, a sign of tissue damage in individuals with COVID-19.

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Affirming NIH’s commitment to addressing structural racism in the biomedical research enterprise

NIH has acknowledged and committed to ending structural racism. The framework for NIH’s approach, summarized here, includes understanding barriers; developing robust health disparities/equity research; improving its internal culture; being transparent and accountable; and changing the extramural ecosystem so that diversity, equity, and inclusion are...

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A glimpse at the glycoRNA world

In the past several decades, there has been an increased appreciation of RNA modifications and their biological functions. In this issue of Cell, Flynn et al. describe the discovery of glycoRNAs present on the surface of cells. Like proteins and lipids, conserved non-coding RNAs are functionalized with carbohydrates.

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Death in the Fas, ELANE

In this issue of Cell, Cui et al. demonstrate a previously unknown capacity for neutrophils to selectively kill cancer cells. How this killing is effected unfolds as a story of classical biochemistry, novel cell biology, and innate and adaptive immunity.

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Seq-ing out cell types across the isocortex and hippocampal formation

A central quest in neuroscience is to gain a holistic understanding of all cell types in the brain. In this issue of Cell, Yao et al. establish a molecular architectural view of cell types across the entire adult mouse isocortex and hippocampal formation and reveal surprising similarities of cell types in these two brain regions.

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The deep population history of northern East Asia from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene

Mao et al. demonstrate that the ancestry of the ca. 40 ka individual from Tianyuan Cave near Beijing was widespread geographically and temporally before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ca. 26.5–19 ka). At the end of the LGM, the earliest northern East Asian appeared. After 14 ka, populations in the Amur region comprised the closest East Asian source...

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